Dublin boasts a burgeoning scene of street food markets and pop-up pitches for different food traders, from Eatyard and The Place to markets in Moore Street, Howth and the near-daily pitches organised by Irish Village Markets.
However, beyond the M50 there are a host of bustling street food markets to explore around Ireland, from the historic Victorian covered market in Belfast to the mammoth warehouse of wonderful food stalls in the port of Cork.
Rather than singular truck pitches, like the brilliant Misunderstood Heron and Snappy Snappy in Connemara, Julia’s Lobster Truck in Clare or Little Catch and Unbeetable in Waterford, here is a rundown of some must-try food markets where a collective of culinary traders gather together to sell their fantastic flavours to the masses.
Marina Market, Cork City
Centre Park Road, Cork T12 YX76
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A massive disused warehouse in Cork city’s docklands area has arguably become Ireland’s premier indoor food market in recent years. Marina Market has thrived since opening in Autumn 2020 and is without doubt one-upping the capital with its expansive space hosting over 35 different and diverse street food traders, open seven days a week until 8pm.
As a culinary incubator, it has offered a debut home for the likes of Brazilian chef Victor França’s wood-fired grill spot Nua Asador, gourmet Irish friterie Prátaí, a pair of chicken shops in the form of Poulet Vous (Aidan Roche’s Nashville-meets-Seoul chicken concept) and Hansum (Colin Ryan’s rotisserie joint) plus The Stew Store, a globe-traversing soup and stew offering from husband-and-wife Tabrez and Farhana, amongst many other up-starts. Bigger players have also now joined in including Griolladh and Burritos & Blues.
Dog-friendly and with parking available, there is also a regular roster of community-building events.
Mountain View Market, Kilkenny
Ballyhale, Co. Kilkenny, R95 NH31
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The pandemic sparked the idea for the O’Neill family to add a market to their picturesque hilltop estate, which includes a venue-for-hire, The Greenhouse restaurant and bar plus a range of glamping options from shepherds huts to bell tents. The idea was to create a market with a focus on sustainability, short supply chains and artisan craft while fostering social connection.
This seasonal market which runs every Sunday from mid-March until the end of September, before popping up again briefly around Christmas and New Years for a festive stint. Must-tries include JD Jeje’s Afro-Caribbean flavours at Socafro Kitchen, Cian Hawes’ exceptional Pure Food Company salads and Japanese fusion from Day N Night.
The Boatyard, Wicklow
Victoria Road, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, A63 H670
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A neat-sized, al fresco food market set in a former boat yard for the nearby marina in Greystones, find The Boat Yard a short walk from the DART station. The two main anchor traders here come run by the same enterprising pair of chef pals, Ray Murphy and Bowie Thompson. The Burrito Box, which deals in whopper burritos, has expanded over the years from a tiny horsebox to a mammoth container while No.84 Woodfire Pizza is a modern, wood-fired pizza parlour up-cycled from a Dublin Bus.
There is also Yellov Street Food, run by Turkish cook Didem Köse, serving a sunny selection of Mediterranean-inspired dishes like kebaps and meze bowls. The market runs Wednesday to Sunday weekly with slightly varied timings depending on the traders.
St. George’s Market
12 East Bridge St, Belfast, BT1 3NQ
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A behemoth that needs no introduction, this Victorian covered market’s origins date back to 1890 when it replaced an open-air market with this handsome red-bricked building replete with Roman arches, Latin inscriptions and Irish etchings.
One of Belfast’s oldest attractions, this is a must-visit, open Friday to Sunday weekly. On Friday and Saturday, the food takes much of the focus while Sunday is more full of local crafts and often accompanied by live music and performances.
A wide range of hot food options are available, including Nomad Kitchen serving North African and Middle Eastern-inspired street food, Chowder Up offering seafood chowder, lobster rolls and garlic-butter drenched soda bread fries and Sizzle & Roll for popular filled breakfast baps. Don’t miss a bag of dulse seaweed to snack on either…
Wickham Way, Limerick
Limerick City Centre, V94 WR8N
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Where Thomas and Wickham Streets meet you will find the quirky and colourful little covered market and community space called Wickham Way. Built as an urban food court with different food and drink options anchoring the space, the traders serve Thursday to Sunday weekly until 9pm (6pm on Sundays), while on Saturday the market expands with local craftspeople selling their wares and artwork.
Find smashing Irish beef patties at Bó Burger, authentic Indian street food like dosa, idli and vada at Raasta and Mexican tacos, quesadillas and loaded fries at Republic of Grill — which counts Blindboy Boatclub amongst the fans of its legendary birria tacos!
The Salt and Sugar, Limerick’s first Brazilian cafe, also serves pastel, fried crescent-shaped filled pastry pockets, and coxinha, the stuffed, battered and fried teardrop-shaped croquettes.
Galway Market, Galway
Galway City Centre, H91 PY20
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Galway’s beacon of fresh produce, artisan crafts, incredible cheeses and street food, find this long-established staple snaking around St. Nicholas’ Church on Saturdays (from 8am) and Sundays (midday) throughout the year. In the peak summer months that expands to include Wednesdays to Fridays while at Christmas there’s a wonderfully festive feel to the market.
In food terms, find falafel, hummus, pita and salads (with veg from collaborator farm The Bulaun Ark) at The Gourmet Offensive while John McInnes is the one-man-band behind The Banh Mì Shop, which keeps this Vietnamese sandwich supremely local, using Le Petit Delice crusty baguettes and Collerans Butchers pork.
Other notable must-tries include the pea and potato curry from The Bean Tree, all the fresh sushi from Kappa-Ya and traditional doughnuts from BoyChik. A visit to Sheridan’s Cheesemonger is a must, while the wine bar one floor-up offers the perfect place for a post-market perch.
The Black Market, Cork
Ballintemple, Co. Cork, T12 NXN1
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You have heard of a blank canvas but this is Cork’s ‘black’ canvas, a moody and dramatic dark-hued indoor-outdoor market in Ballintemple. The Black Market began in Autumn 2021 and currently has counts nine different food and drink traders among its stable, including Rita Bendinskiene’s Taste of Home Eastern European comfort food and Brendan Hedley’s Tex Mex container serving burritos, quesadillas and loaded nachos.
You will also find smash burgers from Tirab, hand-made pies from The Pie Guys and great coffee from Soma 2, which also has a roastery on-site. Open Wednesday to Sunday weekly and dog-friendly with parking nearby. Keep an eye out for the new Element Wellness sauna which is soon set to be in situ.
Milk Market, Limerick
Cornmarket Row, Limerick City, V94R602
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Limerick’s famed farmer’s market, which dates back to 1852, you can’t miss the giant canopy under which the bustle and buzz in contained all weekend, every weekend. Running Friday to Sunday weekly, Saturday is the busiest day with everything from organic fruit and vegetables to breads, cakes, condiments and farmhouse cheeses plus fresh fish and meat.
Though more a produce-led market than a street food market, there is a number of different ready-to-eat stalls, like crêpes at Bon-Appetit, açai bowls at Peas and Love and fresh cookies at SOS Cookies.
